F♭sus2 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭sus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, G♭ and C♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as Esus2.
Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
- Notes
- F♭ · G♭ · C♭
- Formula
- 1 · 2 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 2 · 7
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Suspended 2
- Symbol
- F♭sus2
F♭sus2 on piano
3 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play F♭sus2 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F♭, middle finger on G♭ and little finger on C♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♭ is a black key and F♭ and C♭ are white, the keys you'd normally call E and B. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- G♭2
- C♭5
F♭sus2 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭sus2 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
F♭ · G♭ · C♭
Play F♭sus2 on the online piano
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F♭sus2 chord notes
Also known as Esus2
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| 2 | Major second | 2 | G♭(Gb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♭(Cb) |
How to use the F♭sus2 chord
The F♭sus2 chord is built from a root, a major second and a perfect fifth. Start at the root F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, G♭ and C♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Suspended second chords are a signature sound of modern pop, worship music, ambient and post-rock. They're commonly used as colour over a root chord or as an open alternative to major.
How F♭sus2 differs from similar chords
F♭sus2 replaces the third with a major second, so unlike F♭ or F♭m it is neither major nor minor. It is not F♭add9, which keeps the third and adds the ninth on top. Its three notes are the same as those of the sus4 chord built on its fifth.
Where F♭sus2 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭sus2 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the F♭sus2 chord?
- The F♭sus2 chord contains F♭, G♭ and C♭ (Fb, Gb and Cb in plain text).
- Is the F♭sus2 chord major or minor?
- F♭sus2 is a suspended second chord. Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
- How do you play F♭sus2 on piano?
- Place your fingers on F♭, G♭ and C♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♭ is a black key and F♭ and C♭ are white, the keys you'd normally call E and B.
- How do you play F♭sus2 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the F♭sus2 chord?
- F♭sus2 is enharmonically equivalent to Esus2. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.